Since my accident in 2002, there have been things that I've slowly checked off my list of things that I didn't think I could do, but by just trying, have been able to bring back into my life. There are just a few last things that I've wanted to try and downhill skiing was one of them. In thinking about going skiing, for some reason it has seemed like a daunting mountain to climb. However, it shouldn't have been.
Seeing as the biggest issue for me is whether or not my feet get pounded into the ground over and over again. With downhill skiing, one's feet are locked in pretty tight to the boots, which are locked down onto the skis, so no up and down pounding should occur. Actually, my biggest worry was not being able to get myself up after having fallen down. This last concern was one that held me back from going up and hitting the slopes. However, I was able to hook up with Peter S. (from the farm trip this past summer) and his friend MB, also from NYC. We decided to meet up in Colorado for the weekend after the New Year and ski together.
We flew into Denver, rented and SUV (which turned out to be a savior since we were hit with some pretty difficult driving conditions at times) and drove to our hotel which was in the town of Avon, CO. Avon is 10 miles west of Vail and is nearest to the Beaver Creek area.
To say that the three days of skiing was bruising to my ego is pretty much dead on for the experience I had. I have to thank Peter and MB for their patience that first day as they sacrificed their enjoyment of the Colorado skiing and instead waited as I repeatedly fell down and labored to get up and then promptly fall down again. It must have taken at least 45 minutes to an hour to finish the first run of the morning of the first day. There was no way I was going to be able to keep up with them so we carefully planned to ski down areas where they could get two blue runs in for every one of my on green runs.
The second day, we trekked over to Vail. We all skied together that morning and I gained some confidence and found some fun runs to do. I found that I felt much more comfortable when I could ski down runs over and over and know what to expect. For those who know Vail, my favorite fun is "Lost Boy". That afternoon, I enrolled in ski school. The lesson was helpful in that the instructor (this woman was the epitome of crusty mid-50's New Englander) explained the importance of rolling one's feet to carve turns. The side-to-side motion of the length of the foot is something that has been reduced in my range of motion. I can do it, but it takes some effort. The lesson went well and I definitely could notice improvement. Most of our lessons took us down blue runs and I was gaining confidence.
The third day of skiing brought us back to Vail. However, this was the day that the big winter storm that nailed California moved into Colorado. The day started with snow flurries and at the top of the mountain there were nearly whiteout conditions. In addition, I had trouble with one of my contacts, which hindered depth perception. Peter and MB went to ski some of the back bowls and I stuck to some green runs near the top of the front side. After lunch, the snow started accumulating at a couple inches per hour. I decided it was time for me to get off the slopes. As we were at the western most point of the mountain and I needed to exit on the exact opposite corner, I plotted a exit strategy that took me down green runs to lifts that moved me eastward. The best laid plans.........
I got down the first run just fine. A bit dicey since I hadn't skied the run before and was afraid I might ski past the lift. However, the second run did me in. I couldn't see and just didn't have the confidence to attack it and by the time I got to bottom of the second run, I decided enough was enough. I ate my pride and took the lift DOWN the mountain. And that was the inglorious end to my skiing trip.
Will I go skiing again? Sure, but I'll probably not choose an area that is quite so difficult and I'll definitely pay much more attention to the weather report.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
The Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight is the Amtrak train that runs the length of the West Coast with endpoints in Seattle, WA and Los Angeles, CA. This past October as I was searching for flights from the Bay Area to Seattle for the winter holidays, I was FLOORED by the $375 and up round trip fares the airlines were quoting. I have become accustomed to the under $200 (and will still complain about them) flights I could book in years past.
On a whim, I checked out the Amtrak site to see how much a train ticket would cost. Round trip, $216. This was something I could manage and also have the opportunity to travel on the famed Coast Starlight train. The name has such a romantic feel to it and the idea of not having to fight through airport security lines and the Southwest Airlines middle seat sold me on the idea. The ticket was purchased.
Luckily, before I boarded the train, I didn't read this unflattering article about the route in the Chronicle. I arrived at the train station at 8:15PM. With no security check and a baggage check line of one person, I was ready to go by 8:25PM. Being used to the airport two hour rule, I was sitting there a bit agog at the ease it was to get checked in.I was scheduled to board the train in Emeryville, CA at 10:15PM on Friday December 21st, 2007. Since we actually boarded at 10:40PM, I'll say that falls within the margin of error and that we were essentially on time.
Why did I mention the date of my ride? December 21st is the vernal equinox and the shortest day of the year. Idiot me books a train ride on one of the most beautiful rides in the nation and I saw a lot of night time sky. Oh well.
I didn't book a sleeper car, but there really was no need. The seats in the coach class were spacious and laid back nearly horizontal while also providing both leg AND foot rests. Unlike the trains on the East Coast, The Coast Starlight (as well as many of Amtrak's long distance trains) use the Superliner cars. They are two story with the lower part being dedicated to bathrooms and other features and the second story for passengers. It was great to be up high and watch the scenery go by.
I immediately got comfortable and fell asleep. As I slept, the train worked it's way through Sacramento, Chico, Redding and across the California/Oregon border. I awoke to snow on the ground and the beautiful southern Oregon scenery. We stopped in Klamath Falls and then worked our way over the Cascades into Eugene, OR. We arrived into Eugene within an hour of our scheduled time. Because Amtrak assigns its passengers to cars based on each persons destination, over half of the passengers in my car left the train in Eugene. Few got on and for the rest of the trip to Seattle, only 50% of the seats in my car were occupied. Unfortunately, the weather was overcast and cloudy so there weren't many vistas to be seen and then by the time we arrived into Portland, it was dark. I arrived in Seattle at 9:15PM the following evening, only a half hour after the train was scheduled to arrive.
Six days later, I again boarded the Coast Starlight was my southbound trip. The thought of another 20+ hours was daunting. I think next time, I will take the train up and fly back down. That seems to be a good compromise. On the train this time were 100+ Canadian teenagers on their way to Los Angeles. The trip had a much more "hyper" feel to it. However, this time, I got to see the beautiful views as the train traveled right along Puget Sound as well as San Francisco Bay as it pulled into Emeryville. These short glimpses made the long boring parts worth enduring.
I got off and thought, "probably not again", but as I sit here a week after the trip, I certainly romanticize the good parts. Being able to stretch out. Sitting in the viewing car and reading a good book on comfortable seats. (By the way, I read the majority of Richard Russo's new book "The Bridge of Sighs") Perhaps, I'll try riding across the country in one of the other famous Amtrak rail trips. The Empire Builder links Seattle to Chicago across the Montana and North Dakota (we all know my fascination with the latter) or the The California Zephyr which starts in the Bay Area and ends in Chicago. Amtrak, check it out!
On a whim, I checked out the Amtrak site to see how much a train ticket would cost. Round trip, $216. This was something I could manage and also have the opportunity to travel on the famed Coast Starlight train. The name has such a romantic feel to it and the idea of not having to fight through airport security lines and the Southwest Airlines middle seat sold me on the idea. The ticket was purchased.
Luckily, before I boarded the train, I didn't read this unflattering article about the route in the Chronicle. I arrived at the train station at 8:15PM. With no security check and a baggage check line of one person, I was ready to go by 8:25PM. Being used to the airport two hour rule, I was sitting there a bit agog at the ease it was to get checked in.I was scheduled to board the train in Emeryville, CA at 10:15PM on Friday December 21st, 2007. Since we actually boarded at 10:40PM, I'll say that falls within the margin of error and that we were essentially on time.
Why did I mention the date of my ride? December 21st is the vernal equinox and the shortest day of the year. Idiot me books a train ride on one of the most beautiful rides in the nation and I saw a lot of night time sky. Oh well.
I didn't book a sleeper car, but there really was no need. The seats in the coach class were spacious and laid back nearly horizontal while also providing both leg AND foot rests. Unlike the trains on the East Coast, The Coast Starlight (as well as many of Amtrak's long distance trains) use the Superliner cars. They are two story with the lower part being dedicated to bathrooms and other features and the second story for passengers. It was great to be up high and watch the scenery go by.
I immediately got comfortable and fell asleep. As I slept, the train worked it's way through Sacramento, Chico, Redding and across the California/Oregon border. I awoke to snow on the ground and the beautiful southern Oregon scenery. We stopped in Klamath Falls and then worked our way over the Cascades into Eugene, OR. We arrived into Eugene within an hour of our scheduled time. Because Amtrak assigns its passengers to cars based on each persons destination, over half of the passengers in my car left the train in Eugene. Few got on and for the rest of the trip to Seattle, only 50% of the seats in my car were occupied. Unfortunately, the weather was overcast and cloudy so there weren't many vistas to be seen and then by the time we arrived into Portland, it was dark. I arrived in Seattle at 9:15PM the following evening, only a half hour after the train was scheduled to arrive.
Six days later, I again boarded the Coast Starlight was my southbound trip. The thought of another 20+ hours was daunting. I think next time, I will take the train up and fly back down. That seems to be a good compromise. On the train this time were 100+ Canadian teenagers on their way to Los Angeles. The trip had a much more "hyper" feel to it. However, this time, I got to see the beautiful views as the train traveled right along Puget Sound as well as San Francisco Bay as it pulled into Emeryville. These short glimpses made the long boring parts worth enduring.
I got off and thought, "probably not again", but as I sit here a week after the trip, I certainly romanticize the good parts. Being able to stretch out. Sitting in the viewing car and reading a good book on comfortable seats. (By the way, I read the majority of Richard Russo's new book "The Bridge of Sighs") Perhaps, I'll try riding across the country in one of the other famous Amtrak rail trips. The Empire Builder links Seattle to Chicago across the Montana and North Dakota (we all know my fascination with the latter) or the The California Zephyr which starts in the Bay Area and ends in Chicago. Amtrak, check it out!
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